Hi ,
Could anybody give me the english equivalent of some of the tamil names of fish.
I know a few of them - "Koduva" is Barramundi , "Surai" is Tuna, "Mavalasi" is King Mackerel, "Mayil Kola" is Sailfish and Parai is GT.
I was looking for the english equivalent of Kalluri and the tamil names for Mahi Mahi or Dolphinfish, Barracuda, Grouper, Jewfish, Cobia and Tarpon.
If there's more fish names you could add as well both freshwater and saltwater that would help a lot.
Could someone from Mumbai and Kerala help with local fish names and the english equivalent as well.
It's easier to choose tackle and bait or lures knowing what we're targeting and seeing the same fish are called different names in different parts of the country it's pretty confusing Many thanks for any information in advance
Wingz

Hello Bobby,
Let's give it a go. Maybe we can then compile a list so we wont be lost when the local fishermen or anglers say for instance ... you can get " Kelavan" here in Tamilnadu or maybe "modha" which I think is what GT is called in Kerala and when the Mumbai folks say "Rava" or "Rawa" us southies are not thinking of semolina but of Threadfin's . I think it's maybe worth putting together. It might be very useful.
Cheers
Wingz

Hello Bobby,Let's give it a go. Maybe we can then compile a list so we wont be lost when the local fishermen or anglers say for instance ... you can get " Kelavan" here in Tamilnadu or maybe "modha" which I think is what GT is called in Kerala and when the Mumbai folks say "Rava" or "Rawa" us southies are not thinking of semolina but of Threadfin's . I think it's maybe worth putting together. It might be very useful.CheersWingz

Hi Wingz,

Not a bad idea at all...never said it was.

Threadfin is called Rava's' in Bombay...that is how we tell it appart from semolina also called bameen. However the confusion comes up where a common name for a fish in one locality is a same common name for another type of fish in different locality. But good on you with the idea, Why do you not take ownership of this list and edit your initial post with all the names you gather in the string, will sure be helpful for all.

Hi Bobby,
Thanks for the inputs. I've added on these as well. I've got a short list already but it definitely is growing. I'll post up the entire list as it grows. Still waiting for inputs from Bombay , Kerala and the rest of the country.
cheers mate
Wingz

Sure Bobby,
Not a worry at all. Alphabetical order in english names it will be with the corresponding local names and regions alongside . Incidentally I'm trying to find out how many of the IGFA species ( about 67 listed as I know ) we have in our waters and hopefully that will be sorted and listed separately as well.
Cheers
Wingz

Bops ,
Could you help with a list of IGFA classified species. I have about 67 listed in my list. I'd like to find out how many of those we have in our waters and the local names for that as well.
This just got to me so I want to do it.
Just curious but curiosity got the cat like they say Cheers
Wingz

Try Fish base. Scroll down the page and there is a search by island/ country. Then search for Marine or Fresh water. youll see all the fish listed there with local names some in malayalam, Tamil, Hindi. This could help you expand your list.

Hello Jeen,
Looked up Fishbase. That is indeed an awesome database. I can read malayalam and hindi but tamil is going to be a struggle. so too telugu . I 'll try sort that one out. Awesome !!!
Cheers
Wingz

Hello Jeen,Looked up Fishbase. That is indeed an awesome database. I can read malayalam and hindi but tamil is going to be a struggle. so too telugu . I 'll try sort that one out. Awesome !!!CheersWingz

IGFA members get an annual book of records, I am sure Bops gets one and he could mail you last years copy. I have thrown all my copies out when I moved house. Books for my library are still packed up, but P.M. me your address I just incase I find something when I unpack those boxes. You can also try the IGFA website.

Hello,
Bobby, Jeen, Maruthu and Mani ....got a little tied up with work but the list will be up soon.
Could anyone help with these fish id , one's what we call the Kalluri locally and the other is I think a leatherskin trevally ( correct me if I'm wrong) and english names
Many thanks
Wingz

You are doing a great job here. This list will be really helpful to everyone. May i suggest that you first use a Scientific Binomial, then the English name and then the local names. I think without a scientific name a whole load of confusion is going to spring up for various species. for example....

I think the fish that you call a Leatherskin trevally is a Snub Nose Pompano (Trachinotus blochii).

We might be talking about the same fish but using different English names? With the scientific binomial this won't happen and we can call it all the english names under the sun we, without getting confused Its a load of work but will give the list a lot more value in the end. I'll try and put some help in.

Hello Scott,
Yup, that makes sense . The scientific names are going to drive me nuts but I'll give it a try. Visual references are all I can rely on and pictures of the same fish look so different on different websites.
The fish in the pic is from what I could gather a Leatherskin Trevally , Leatherskin or double spotted queen fish (Scomberoides lysan) reference - http://www.mpeda.com/FisheryResources/C ... angids.htm

The African Pompano ( Trachinotus blochii )I think looks very similiar but I 'm not sure.
Will give it a go though and any inputs would be great.
Cheers
Wingz

Noticed you have got Mangrove Jack and Red Snapper, I do not think we get the Red Snapper Chrysophrys auratus in India (but I could be wrong), they are not really a tropical fish, a lot of us call a MJ Lutjanus argentimaulatus a Red Snapper. Another fish that is confused with the Mangrove Jack is the Red Bass Lutjaus bohar mostly caught in reefs and a fish that can be toxic to eat because of their high ciguatera content, if one wants to eat this one then go with the small ones only.

Anyway, so my point is which fish are you referring to when you say Mangrove Jack and which one are you referring to when you say Red Snapper?

Last edited by Bobby on Fri Sep 11, 2009 11:13 am, edited 1 time in total.

Hello Bobby,
The Red Snapper is also called mangrove Jack and we are refering to Lutjanus argentimaculatus. Apparently they are caught in our waters. The other red snapper mentioned is the Lutjanus sanguineus commonly referred to here in Tamilnadu as Sankara or Thendal.
Unfortunately I'm having to use visual references with the local fishermen on if a species can be caught here and if it's fish they're familiar with or have caught. will try to make the most of these inputs but I doubt they'll be completely accurate.
Ahhhhh.... I just wish this was simpler or that i had a PhD in marine biology Cheers
Wingz

I'm afraid i will have to disagree and stick with the Snubnose or longfin pompano (Trachinotus blochii) which itself looks similar to the African pompano (Trachinotus africanus) particularly in the juvenile stages.

Both however are quite different from the Leatherskin Trevally better known as the Doublespotted Queenfish (Scomberoides lysan)

Hello Scott,
I'm not arguing on this point but i had a word with my fisherman friends and showed them both pics on my phone. 9/ 10 said Kadamparai and Vawaal which are leatherskin and Pomfret. I am still confused. The Pomfrets in your link and Santhosh's pic does look very much like this fish minus the spots. Apparently the spots on this variety get larger and quite distinct as the fish matures and they say it's not the Vawaal or Pomfret. One couldnt make up his mind and said he doesnt know. If only one of them knew what the 'Kadamparai" is called in english.
Getting pictures and running it through the local fishermen and then finding the equivalent local names is the only way we can sort this out. Hopefully we'll get some answers.
This actually started when I got curious about the english names because i couldnt tell my friend who doesnt know the tamil fish names we were catching Kadamparai, Oodan, Kalluri, Mattivayan, Thukanavachi, Kilangan and so on On the side it's funny how fish names go as you'll see from the names above and i sometimes wonder who came up with these names. The other day I hooked up a small salmon which the locals called Kaala and there are apparently five species in our waters here in Tamilnadu I happily said Rava and a couple of fisherman standing nearby all burst out laughing. They said "Thambi " caught rava and next he'll catch maida. It later interested them that Salmons are called Rava in Maharastra and one sympathetic old fisherman then said these are called Kaala locally and he told me about the different types we can catch around here.
Fishing is always interesting .... Cheers
Wingz

Yeahs its a tricky one! and i wish you lots of luck getting to the bottom of this! Lets ask everyone on the fotum to try and get clear photos of any fish they catch or see caught, ideally against a plain background. Then we can really start figuring things out! its definately a very interesting subject you are on and you are guaranteed to learn a lot in the coming months!

I'll be really interested to know what the different types of threadfin are. maybe you can also ask around if the Giant Guitarfish/sandshark is present and also the Sawfish. Both species should be about as i have heard people talk about the Sawfish in goa but unfortunately it is very suceptible to netting and numbers have plummeted in recent years.

Hello Scott,
Was looking at the gallery and that's some awesome fish you hooked up ...good going !!!
Yes indeed ... we do get a lot of guitarfish at low tide except the ones we catch around here are more sand coloured. We usually get them around November - December but a couple of them were hooked up last week which was unusual. As for the Saw fish and even Sailfish I've heard stories of my fisherman friends catching them off the FRP Boats on our coast but that's long ways from shore and most of them do not venture out that far these days. I'm hoping to give it a try in December / January.
My friends said there were five types of Salmon.... threadfin being one of them. Apparently they usually range from 2 to 4 Kgs and there is one which goes upto 20 Kgs. One type has bluish skin as well. I'm going to have to ask further and right now this is a big puzzle for me as well with little clues to sort out. We'll get it sorted I'm sure.
" Everyday is a good day for Fishing" is a favourite phrase of mine from a jingle on Tackle world but it appears it should be " Everyday is a good day for learning ...if you want to fish today" Happy fishing always
Cheers
Wingz

My friends said there were five types of Salmon.... threadfin being one of them. Apparently they usually range from 2 to 4 Kgs and there is one which goes upto 20 Kgs. One type has bluish skin as well. I'm going to have to ask further and right now this is a big puzzle for me as well with little clues to sort out. We'll get it sorted I'm sure. "Wingz

Threadfin Salmon are not true Salmon, as the story goes when Australia was colonized, white settlers caught threadfin and called salmon because of it's slightly pinkish flesh.

I'll be really interested to know what the different types of threadfin are.

Hi Scott,

I have been working on a article on local threadfin and have done a lot of research I had to shelve it for a while last 3 months as I have been moving house and had a lot of other things to do, hopefully I should be able to get working on it again early next month.

This is a tiny bit I quote from the introduction that tells you about the number of Threadfin available both globally and locally around India

Quote
“The Ravas or Threadfin Salmon is probably the most underrated fish as far as angling goes, arguably, it is the strongest fighting fish pound for pound. And they can put on a few pounds, why the fish does not have a cult type following, I fail to understand. I am hoping by writing this, I get a few people interested who will truly pursue this legend. If the Mahseer rules the rivers in India as an angling super prize the Ravas should rule our costal waters as one.

Globally there are at totally 41 types of Threadfin Salmon or Ravas so far known to man. We, in India are blessed with 10 types of Ravas or Threadfin Salmon (known so far), the most common one we refer to when we say “Ravas” is Eleutheronema tetradactylum. This species of Ravas is said to be available throughout our coast tight from Pakistan around and up to Bangladesh”
Unquote

So far i've not managed to land many threadfins but have heard a lot about them. As you say in your article they are quite a species to catch and the two small ones I landed last year proved that 100%. Photos of big threadfin landed from the beach in Angola really caught my attention a few years ago.I look forward to reading your article and learning some more about this magnificent species and hopefully even landing a few decent specimens in the future.

Interesting topic but what it really needs is for a member with a formal qualification in fish taxonomy to compile a list of local names for Indian "game" fish species and submit then to fishbase.org.
That way there would be a central information source available to all.

Quote“The Ravas or Threadfin Salmon is probably the most underrated fish as far as angling goes, arguably, it is the strongest fighting fish pound for pound. And they can put on a few pounds."

Bobby, I'll second that, one has to just experience a fight with a Rawas.!! Syd.

I had one 21 lber at Manori that made me look like a frigging novice ,,, blew my drag washers on the Mitchell 486 away ... mini papadums they looked like when I opened the reel to service it ... was lucky to land it ... had to disengage the antireverse and play the fish . I was running all over the rocks trying to land the fish ....some of teh anglers out there that day had a laugh of their life ... but they were not laughing once the fish was on the rocks

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